Hood for suction cleaners and the like



July 5, 1949. R. c. osBoRN 2,475,400

HOOD FOR SUCTION CLEANERS AND THE LIKE Filed April 25, 1947 INVENToR. Kalf/z T si/'arri BY' Patented July 5, 1949 ITED STATES PATENT GFFICE HOOD FOR SUCTION CLEANERS AND THE LIKE Ralph C. Osborn, Bloomington, Ill., assigner to Eureka Williams Corporation,

Bloomington,

8 Claims.

This invention relates to vacuum cleaners and has particular reference to a new and improved construction for the hood thereof.

In suction cleaners as now commonly built a hood is employed to cover the motor of the cleaner and the light thereof, and of necessity must be provided with a suitable window through which light rays are directed forwardly of the cleaner for illuminating the surface in front of the cleaner and on which it is operating.

This invention contemplates a new and simplied construction for the hood in which the light transmitting window is formed integrally with the hood. This arrangement reduces the cost of manufacture and makes it possible to achieve certain design effects which it is now impractical to attain.

The invention further contemplates the feature oi making a name or design plate for the cleaner integral with the hood so as to reduce the cost thereof and also for the purpose of making it possible to achieve certain design eiects it is now impractical to attain.

Principal objects of the invention, therefore, are to provide:

A new and improved hood for a suction cleaner;

A new and improved hood for a suction cleaner in which a light transmitting lens and a name or design plate are made integrally with the hood.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from a consideration of the iollowing specification taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, of which there is one sheet and wherein:

Fig. l is a side elevational view of a cleaner embodying the invention with the hood thereof shown in se-ction;

T ilig. 2 is a fragmentary plan view of the hood;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary bottom plan view 0f the hood; and

Fig. i is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view through the name plate.

As shown in Fig. 1, a vacuum cleaner embodying the invention comprises a body Il! having front and rear supporting wheels I2 and i4 and a propelling handle iii pivoted to the cleaner. rEhe cleaner further includes a motor I8, a light 2d, and a motor hood 22. The hood 22 is seated upon the body lil and is arranged to cover the motor i3 and iight 2li and to complete the appearance of the cleaner. It is provided with a slot 2li for the handle socket, a lens or light transmitting window 26, and a name plate indicated generally at 28.

The hood, lens and name plate according to the invention are molded in one piece from a transparent material, such as a thermoplastic material and preferably one which has the property of piping light. Methylmethacrylate is an example of a suitable transparent material which has the property of piping or transmitting light through and around curved surfaces.

The hood 22 is formed in a suitable mold so as to define the portion 26 which forms the lens and also to dei-lne the name or design plate portion 28 which has hollow letters or other suitable indicia molded into the material of the hood on the underside, as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 4. The indicia may however be formed after the hood is formed, if desired, by any suitable process.

Preferably a boss '29 is formed on the inside oi the lens 26 and has a surface facing the light 2li so that light will be more readily piped down the iront of the hood to the indicia of the name or design plate portion 28.

After the hood 22 is removed from the mold the lens area on the underside of the hood is masked. The surfaces 3l and 33 dening the hollow embossed indicia or letters also are masked, such as by illing with a low melting point Wax. Thereafter the underside of the hood is given a coat of paint of the desired color, as indicated by the heavy line 36, such as by spraying, and which paint because of the transparency of the hood material will be visible from the outer or top side of the hood and give the hood its color. The wax is then melted out of the hollow embossed indicia and the lens mask removed. Thereafter a strip of material 30 of a contrasting color to the nished hood is placed in the recess formed by the molded boss 32. The plate 30 may be held in position by melting the thermoplastic of the boss 32 so as to form stakes 34 for holding the plate 30 in position.

When the hood is assembled to the cleaner with the light 20 illuminated, the hood will only transmit light through the lens portion 26. This portion may comprise the embossed area lying between the spaced dotted lines shown in Fig. 1. The lens area preferably is located centrally of the front of the hood and extends throughout a substantial range on both sides of the center, as indicated in Figs. 2 and 3. The paint 36 on all the remaining undersurface of the hood prevents light from showing through the hood except through the lens 26 and on the letters or figures of the name or design plate.

Since the methacrylate plastics have light piping properties, the edge surfaces 3l of the hollow embossed indicia arranged transversely 3 of the plane of the hood material will be lighted by the rays of light transmitted or piped through the material of the hood to provide a vertical edge-lighting effect on the letters or figures of the name or design plate. The color of the plate 30 will be visible from the top side of the hood so that Whenathalightg is olfjthe' na'meor` def sign platewillbe formed by the coloro the `plate 30 showing through the surfaces 33 of the hollow embossed indicia in the hood. The contrastingl color f the plate 30 relativedto',the.,paintf36 will thus provide a color backingfor the letters` forming the name plate.

Instead of using a separate color `backingplate 30, a name or design plate -maybe''frrnedfon the hood by painting the surfaces 3| and l"33 a color which contrasts with the-color ,of-the paint coat 3S.

painted a color contrasting with that of the paint c`oat-36, afvertical `,edge lighting effect for theigures or letters of .-thevname or designplate like thatpreviou'sly described Ymay be obtained. As the .paint 3611s .on'the underside of '.the' hood, itwill not .be subject to-scratching and abrasion during shipment and use.

While I have illustrated-and 'described a preferred embodiment of mylinvention, it fis understood that .thisis capable Lof modification,V and .I therefore do' notiwshto be limited to the precise details set forthbut :desire to avail myself `of Suchchanges andalternations as fallnwithin the purview of. the following claims.

. I. claim:

l. A vacuum ycleaner .havingxa motor and a light,. a hood comprising an integral molded dome-.shaped lpiece of plastic material arranged to cover saidjjlnotorand light, saidmaterial be# ing vtransparent .-and having .the property of piping light, said hoodhavingan integral ,portion at thefront thereof Ldening a lightntransmitting lens for the `light so aslto vdirect light rays iorwar'dlyaof the cleaner, said :hood having indicia Lformed into the material oflthe hood on thelunder side thereof and spaced from, said lens, a coat of coloring onsaid hood except for the lens portion, said :indioiabeing forrnediand 4arranged Aso. thatedge surfaces thereof extending in a plane transversely of .the surface 'of vthe hood are uncolored kand willbe lighted 'by the rays of `the light Atransmitted'throughvv thel material of thelhooddue Yto the light piping characteristic thereof to.provideanedgeligliting effect on said indicia. i

2. A vacuum cleaner according to claim 1 wherein a vcolor vbackingisA arranged Non the underside tof surfaces of said' indicia i extending generally parallelto-'th'e plane of the portion of the hood in which said indiciais formed.

3. In a vacuum cleaner having a motor and a light, a motor hood comprisingzanintegral molded piece of transparent plastic materialfhaving: a coat of coloring onits under'surfaceandfhaving a light transmitting window .for the light-.iso as to direct light rays forwardly-,of the-cleaner., said hood vhaving vindicia molded :into the material of the hood onthe' under yside `thereoffand.spaced from said-window, said material having :theproperty of piping light, said Aindicia beingL arranged so that the edge surfaces thereof extending ina plane transversely of the surfaceof said ,hood are However, if the edge surfaces 13| are` left unpainted and thevl horizontal surfaces-'33` light, a motor hood comprising an integral molded dqme-shaped,.piece of transparent plastic material having'its under surface painted except for a limited area at the front of the hood, said area defining ajflightntnansmitting lens for the light -so as to direct lightfrays forwardly of the cleaner,

' said*hodhavingindicia molded into the materiaLlofthe-hocdon the under side thereof and spacedwfrom the said lens, the surfaces defining said indicia being uncolored, said material having the property of piping Alight, said indicia being arranged .-soethat A.edge surfaces lthereof .extending in' aplaue .transverselycfthe surfacepofsaid'hood will be lightedrbythe rays of `,lighttransmit-ted throughplthematerialof ,the hoodto proyidean edge lighting eiectonsaid indicia.

6. .Ina rvacuum c1eaner,having.amotor .and a light, amotor hood .comprising a ymolded .idoine-I shaped; piece of transparentplastic material have ing its :inner surface painted andianareaat the front of the hood:.,dening ,a .lighttransmitting windowjfor said:light=source, said ,hood being formednffzmaterial havinexthe. propertrof; piping light and Ihav-inglindicia. molded. therein lighted by ,the rays `of vlight .transmitted through, the ma: terial of sad,hQ0d,..

7.,-'A,vacuum cleaner according to claim 1 wherein said hood is provided with a boss `having aurface .facingsaid light,..so, as tofaci1itate the passage .0f liehtravsinto thematerial of Said hoed.-

v. SSH-Al vacuum cleaner `having, a motor and -,a light,` ,-a hoodcompr sing an, integral molded dome-shaped piece ofuplastic material I,arranged to cover isaid {motor} kand light, .said YmateriaLbeing transparent and having the property 4of; Piping lightlsaid-,hood having an integral .portion at the front I-tl'iereof defining Vya light transmitting lens forth@ y light .sov4 as. to Adirect light rays. forwardly OLtheeCleaner, .thenndervsurface of said hood exceptionsaid lenslfbeing :.painted, said Vvhood having;indiciamoldedinto.,the material ,of `'the hood onl'the underside thereof andspaced vfrom said ziens, saidl indicia vrhaving, a color backing, o f a contrasting color relative to the ,color which the undliurfece of the-heed is. Painted RALPH C. QSBQRN.v

REFERnNoEs. C1131) `The'folldwing.referenlces are of record inthe le of this patent:

f UNITED sTATEs PArrErrrsH Number Name Date :2,190,678 lReplogle Feb. 20,x 1940 2,274,971 White Mar.l 3,. 1942 2,281,858 v yPierce May.5,l 1942 Number Country Date 298,212. Great Britain., 1928 43,9f108. Germany 419,27 

